Electric cell



June 21, 1932.

.96. w. HEISE 1,863,791

ELECTRIC CELL Filed May 29. 1928 f/ecfr a cd" Becfm/v/e Hydra/ed Cat/.sf/c

gwuwwto'b Patented June 21, 1932 um'ran STATES GEORGE W. H EISE; O-F LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL CARBON C0,,

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK retain me, a

ELECTRIC can.

Application am m 29,

. My invention relates to electric cells, particularly to those having a caustic electrolyte and to new methods of preparation of such electrolytes. One of the principal objects of my invention is the provision of a new and convenient dry material from which to prepare a caustic electrolyte. Other objects are to reduce the time required for solution thereof, to facilitate shipment, etc;

A convenient pimary battery, well adapted to such fields of use as railway signal service and in other services where a battery or cell is used in a closed circuit, is produced by inserting a zinc electode and an electrode having a depolarizer mass of copper oxide, into a relatively strong solution of caustic alkali mechanicin the field.

contained in. a suitable vessel. For certain purposes it is desirable that the cell assembly should be approximately complete, except 'for the fluid, at the factory in order that it may be shipped to the point of usage, and there prepared for service by the addition of water only. It has been found that if the assembly is completed, and the various parts permanently assembled at the factor including the usual dry caustic materia either fused, or granulated, for the elecltrolyte, within the vessel, with only a small opening for the introduction of water to prepare the cell "for use, an amount of care isv required in the peparation for sevice which cannot be reliably obtained tom the ordinary It is found that with such a completely assembled cell, the adding of the requisite quantity of water. to the usual dry caustic in the container causes the evolution of a quantity of heat which may result in the formation of a mass of solid material in the bottom of the cell which dissolves only very slowly, A cell so prepared for use may not obtain complete solution of the caustic material nor full efliciency jn a period of several days. Likewise the .high temperature locally produced requires special care to avoid injury to or breakage of the containing vessel, if made of glass, or in some cases, to

' electrodes agglomerated or water-pi'oofed' with heat-sensitive materials.

- My invention provides anew and usefulform of caustic materialfor the electrolyte rectly in granulesof convenient size.

resultant granular iproduct is highly desirv W;

1928. Serial 110.281, 159.

which does not liberate as large aquantity of heat upon admixture with water, and which does not tend to fuse into a solidmass, and which does not produce an amount of heat injurious to the container.- or to the electrodes.

Other objects and details of my invention alentto not over about as percent by weight of the caustic sodium hydroxide. A mixtureof caustic soda and water in this proportion evolves a large quantity of heat and orms' a liquid which, upon cooling, hardens to a dry solid having the approximate formula:

- Na0H'H O This may be considered as the monohydrate,

of sodium hydroxide and may be formed by the above described method, or in any other convenient way as by discontinuing the dehydration of the original caustic soda at an appropriate point. The material, whch is hard and dense and dissovles readily in water may be used in agglomerated form for battery electrolyte. t inay' also desirably be crushed after solidifying, or, if stirred during the cooling processit may be produced ldliable fpr use in the preparation of battery electrolyte to avoid-the above described disadvantages. It is likewisenon-dusting and upon solution produces a much-less quantity v v of heat. It is found thatwhen'the mono-- hydrate is dissolved in water to roduce the desirable 20% to 25%"solution 'o causticfor-J the battery, the solution temperature; may be "approximately 30 C. lower than the temperatu the use of anhydrous caustic.

obtained under similar conditions by draw the stopper and insert the necessary uant'ity of water and rein'sert the stopper. e caustic thereupon dissolves in the water solution without 1n ury to an electrodes which may be inclu ed and wit out dangeror injury to the container or other parts. It is ry that any special care be --taken to insure complete solution of the caustic, and a minimum of stirring, shaking or other agitation is nry to insure the complete solution of the caustic to yield an electrolyte of the necessary concentration and uniformity; The preparation of my invention is hke-' esi wise ve rable for use in cells which are not shipped in completely assembled form, but inparts ready for assembly, since it may readil be packed for shipment separately from't e othercell parts; when added to water b the user no caustic dust is caused to fly a out to the injury of the lungs of those nearby; the amount of agitation required-- to produce a uniform solution is minimized and time is saved; no solid fused masses are formed, and the electrolyte can be used immediately without an intermediate cooling period. g

The previously described embodiment dlscloses my invention as applied to a rimary wise be included.

which a copper oxi e depolarizer is used,

his

battery in which caustic soda, sodium ydroxide, is utilized as the electrolyte. It is equally applicable to a battery in which potassium h droxide, caustic potash, is used. In this alternative embodiment a different proportion'of water may be required to. produce a suitable material approximating the mono-'.

hydrate. This proportion is however, readily computed from the relative molecular wei hts of the substances involved.

similarly mixtures of alkali materials 1 may be used in an analogous way, and such substances as lithium hydroxide may like- My invention is likewise applicable to other caustic electrol te cells than those in such as the zinc carbon cell in which the cathode is depolarized by air as well as in other types/ g c It may likewise be applicable, in certain conditions, to other t es of cells than the primary. cells, such as t e so-called Edison storage *cell.

In the foregoing paragraphs,I have described my invention as utilizing, in a caustothe 'of water is less than the amount required to tic alkali electrolyte cell, a monohydrate of the causctic, alka i, material. I desire that this be understood to means a material composed principally of the monohydrate, since it isnot essential to m invention that the material contain only the monohydrate. It may not be commercially convenient to produce a material in which the included water is in such proportion and combination as to roduce exact y and only the monohydrate. find thatsatisfacto'ry results are obtained when the amountof contained water is somewhat lem than suflicient to convert all of the material to the monohydrate form and some caustic remains present in the unhydrated form. Likewise satisfactory results are ob ,tained if the included water is present in excess over the proportion uired to form the monohydrate, provided t at-the excess develo a stickiness in the material. It is ib e that other hydrates than the monoydrate are formed, or that the moisture is present in other forms than as the monohydrate but whatever the form, in terms of chemical theory, in which the moisturesoccurs, the technical effect is that above disclosed. Accordingly it is desired that when the words caustic hydrate, or monohydrate occur, they be understood to mean a material comprising an alkali hydroxide, and a proportion of water approximating one moecular weight to each molecular weight of caustic material.

Bly this means Irhave thus provided a step in t e assembling of a caustic alkali battery whereby previous difliculties have been substantially reduced, and a new, useful and important gain in convenience, easy of operation, an

While I have shown but a single'embodiment of m invention, it is capable of stillother modifications therefrom without departure from the spirit thereof and it is desired therefore that only such limitations shall be imposed upon the appended claims as are required by the prior art or indi-- cated therein.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a battery cell assembly comprising positive and negative electrodes, and a container, an electrolyte material com risingv essentially a solid soluble hydrate of an alkali hydroxide. 1 a

- 2. In a battery cell assembly comprising positive andnegativeelectrodes, and acontainer, an electrolyte material comprising principally a solid soluble approximately monohydrate of caustic soda.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

GEORGE W. HEISE.

simplicity has been obtained. 105 

